Register self-employed in Spain

Whether you're a language teacher, an online marketer or an expat with a skill or service you plan to sell, if you're living in Spain while you do it, you'll need to be properly registered and paying the correct taxes.

Becoming an autónomo in Spain is the easiest way to start doing business.

Convenient for online freelancers

Once registered, you'll be able to issue invoices to customers immediately.

There are simple tax options

You'll register for a NIF tax number and pay personal income tax on your freelance earnings.

Quicker and easier than registering a company

After the paperwork, you'll be all set up with a bookkeeper and ready to do business.

Get help from our expert

Our expert will assist you with the process from start to finish. After a no-obligation, in-person meeting to discuss your exact circumstances and answer any questions you have, you’ll get a personalised quote for setup. This will consist of a one-time setup fee and an ongoing fee to cover bookkeeping and filing services. There are also some government costs to pay.

Once things get started, your expert will tell you what documents are needed, how to get them and where they need to be submitted. They’ll be on hand for any question you have and to help you overcome any hiccups. Once you’re ready to start doing business, you’ll receive an invoicing guide explaining how to write an invoice either electronically or on paper and they can also advise on the proration of taxes, and general banking advice.

Please note - you’ll need to be located in Spain with an address here. This process can’t be done remotely.

That's great. I'm ready to start!

Get your NIE number

All foreigners wishing to be self employed in Spain need a foreigner’s identity number (NIE). This can be done at a police station with the foreigners’ department by filling in a 'Solicitud de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) y Certificados (form EX-15)'

If you're a non-EEA/EU citizen, you'll likely need a freelance visa first.

Register to pay tax as a self-employed business

You need to register for 'mpuesto sobre actividades económicas' (tax for economic activities). This is done a the tax office with your NIE and passport.

Register for Spanish social security

Anyone registering self-employed in Spain needs to register with Spanish social security system under the Special Regime for Autonomous Workers, known locally as 'Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos'.

Get sorted with your bookkeeper

A bookkeeper can then help you with the last bits of admin, get you ready to invoice customers and help you with your tax returns.

Ready to speak to an expert?

Fill in one short form and we'll get back to you shortly to arrange a no-obligation chat with our local expert.

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Got questions?

We'll try to cover them?

Who's going to be helping me?

In Spain, we work with local business consultants who specialise in working with freelancers and understand the practical and legal requirements.

Do I even need to register self-employed?

If you're working for a single employer that is based or has an office in Spain, it's probably easier for them to hire you. Or, depending on what exactly you do, registering a company might be better. Our expert will discuss options with you at your meeting.

Can I do this myself?

There is nothing stopping you registering self-employed however you'll find it very difficult without knowing Spanish. A local expert helps you navigate the system more easily.

Is this a guaranteed process?

Most people have no problem registering as self-employed in Spain. Provided your honest and accurate when registering with the government and provide all the required documentation in a timely fashion, nothing should go wrong. Where there are bumps in the road, our expert will do their very best to help you overcome them.